Fashion Crowd Celebrates a Free Store with NET-A-PORTER in Miami

If Art Basel Miami Beach is known for one thing, it's not the free exchange of goods—a point noted by Cecilia Dean, the editrix, style maven, and co-mastermind behind Visionaire at last night's Free Store event. "Doing a free store at Art Basel is totally ironic, obviously," she told ELLE.com. Dean, along with NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER, threw a bash at the newly opened SLS Hotel in South Beach, Miami, for Art Basel.

The focus of the party was an interactive installation by artist Jonathan Horowitz, called Free Store, which has previously been in London and New York. The basic concept behind it is: Bring stuff in that you can't use, take stuff away that you can. When the idea was presented the luxury online powerhouse, they agreed to partner up for a soirée.

There, under the warm Florida sky, next to the newly renovated lounging pool, stood a cheery tent brimming with trinkets and things brought by artists (Rob Pruitt, Maurizio Cattelan, Marilyn Minter), designer Riccardo Tisci, and musician Michael Stipe. As guests scoped out the wares, not everything was for the taking, as was pointed out by painter Richard Phillips, whose blockbuster show of Lindsay Lohan just closed at Gagosian Gallery. He said, "I'm just taking in the good vibes!" Still, there was frenzy around the offerings from Art Deco shelves to Tenga toys and Dean's object of desire. "I had my eye on some Givenchy shoes, but they were snapped up before I could get to them," she noted. "But you know, easy come, easy go!"

Leftover goods will be donated to both Bailey's House and Horowitz's efforts for Rockaway Artists Alliance, a collective of artists, fashion, and media who volunteer in the areas deeply affected by Hurricane Sandy. "You just can't get married to possessions," Dean said. "That was a big lesson that Hurricane Sandy taught us all. "We need to be happy with friendship, community, and all of those intangible things."